Why Grade With Us?

CLV Grading is built around consistency, transparency, and scalability.

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Our methodology combines structured visual inspection with a standardised scoring framework to reduce subjectivity and produce repeatable results. Each card is assessed using clearly defined condition pillars, with strict internal benchmarks mapped directly to the final grade.

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We use a precise 0–10 grading scale in 0.5 increments to allow accurate differentiation between cards:

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• 10 — Gem Mint
  Virtually flawless. Perfect centering or within extremely tight tolerances, razor-sharp corners, pristine edges, and a flawless surface with no visible defects.

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• 9.5 — Mint
  Near-perfect. Minor, nearly imperceptible imperfections under close inspection only. Excellent centering, clean edges, sharp corners, and strong surface quality.

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• 9 — Near Mint
  Very clean overall. Slight imperfections such as minor edge wear, tiny surface marks, or small centering deviation.

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• 8.5 — Ex Mint
  High-quality card with light wear. Slight corner softening, minor whitening, or faint surface imperfections.

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• 8 — Excellent+ to Ex Mint
  Noticeable but moderate wear. Small edge wear, light scratches, or slight dulling of surface. Still strong visual appeal.

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• 7.5 — Excellent+
  Moderate wear beginning to show. Minor corner rounding, visible edge wear, or more consistent surface marks.

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• 7 — Excellent
  Clear signs of handling. Edge wear, multiple light scratches, and slight loss of surface quality.

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• 6.5 — Near Excellent–Excellent

• More pronounced wear. Corners softening, visible whitening, and moderate surface imperfections.

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• 6 — Near Excellent
  Well-handled card. Noticeable wear across edges and corners, surface scratches visible without close inspection.

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• 5.5 — Very Good to Near Excellent
  Heavier wear developing. Surface dulling, whitening across edges, and minor structural imperfections.

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• 5 — Very Good
  Significant wear. Rounded corners, edge chipping, visible scratches, but still structurally intact.

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• 4.5 — Good to Very Good
  Heavy wear. Multiple defects across surface, edges, and corners, reduced visual appeal.

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• 4 — Good
  Clearly worn. Creases, dents, or heavier surface damage may be present.

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• 3.5 — Fair to Good
  Major wear. Creasing, significant whitening, and multiple visible defects.

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• 3 — Fair
  Heavily played. Structural wear, clear creases, and strong surface damage.

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• 2.5 — Poor to Fair
  Severe wear. Multiple creases, heavy damage, and compromised appearance.

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• 2 — Poor
  Extensive damage. Large creases, heavy surface issues, and major wear across all areas.

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• 1.5 — Damaged to Poor

• Very heavily damaged. Structural integrity beginning to fail.

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• 1 — Damaged
  Extremely damaged. Tears, severe creasing, water damage, or major structural issues.

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Alongside this, CLV introduces the CLOVER Scale — a structured, repeatable evaluation framework that defines how each card is graded:

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• C — Corners
  Sharpness, symmetry, and integrity of all four corners. Includes whitening, fraying, rounding, dents, and impact damage.

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• L — Lustre
  Surface finish and reflectivity. Measures gloss, holo shine, foil clarity, and the presence of micro-abrasions or dulling.

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• O — Outlines
  Centering and alignment. Evaluates border balance, image positioning, and any tilt or off-center printing.

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• V — Visual Surface
  Overall surface condition. Includes scratches, print lines, dents, stains, scuffs, and general visual cleanliness.

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• E — Edges
  Condition of all edges. Assesses chipping, whitening, rough cuts, and wear from handling or storage.

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• R — Registration
  Print quality and production accuracy. Includes ink alignment, colour consistency, clarity, and factory defects.

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This ensures grading is not just a number, but a structured and explainable system. Each pillar contributes to the final outcome, creating consistency across both low and high volumes.

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What makes CLV different is how this framework is applied. Grades are not subjective opinions—they are the result of defined condition thresholds tied directly to the CLOVER methodology.

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CLV is also built as a data-first system. Every graded card feeds into a live population database, allowing grading decisions to be informed by real-world distribution data rather than isolated judgement. Over time, this tightens accuracy and makes high-grade distinctions more meaningful.

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The result is a grading model that is:

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• Consistent — repeatable outcomes

• Transparent — structured and understandable

• Scalable — designed for high throughput without loss of quality

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CLV Grading is engineered for modern collectors who expect speed, clarity, and trust.